ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
The nation’s federal representatives are meeting today for the last time this year and once again, they’ve left some important legislation to the very last minute to try and rush through.
Despite having all year to work these things out, members and senators from Labor, the Coalition and the Greens have sat on their hands and argued moot points in some absurd, pathetic, pantomime that all of us have to pay for.
On the table today is the social media ban for people aged 16 and under. What an absolute waste of paper and money that is. Kids can and will find a way to access things they’re not allowed to. It’s been that way since the dawn of time.
For example, look at the previous government banning local ISPs from allowing users to access the Pirate Bay. Within 30 seconds of that legislation passing, users were able to access the Pirate Bay through mirror sites. Mirror sites that are totally legal because the URL sits outside the scope of the legislation. You paid for that legislation and it’s fucking rubbish.
There was electoral reform to be rushed through as well that would make it much, much harder for independents and minor parties to get elected to Parliament. The effort this government has done to making sure they don’t have to bargain with fringe lunatic senators and Bob Katter is appalling and the fact that the Liberal Party thought it was on the nose is weird. So it’s been shelved.
Our cousins over in the nation’s prosperous west twisted Albo’s arm to the point where he’s binned the ‘Nature Positive’ environmental reforms and the deal he struck with the Greens – at the eleventh hour. So they’re not doing that today.
If this day wasn’t busy enough, they’re also trying to ram the RBA reforms like they’re pushing poo through a sieve. Detractors of the reforms say it’ll give Labor control over interest rates. Labor say they know what Australians want, which is tumbling interest rates that coincide with an election. Inflation is just numbers on a page that normal people don’t care to understand.
After that, the only thing getting passed today is a social media ban. Good stuff.
More to come.
